Can Radiant Heat Be Installed Under Hardwood Flooring

With radiant heat systems it s not just the responsibility of the hardwood floor professional to be on top of their game.

Can radiant heat be installed under hardwood flooring. And radiant heat can be very economical. Radiant heat is becoming more and more popular in residential heating. Here are the top 4 flooring options for use over radiant heat. Most people are not aware of how radiant heat works.

Wood flooring manufactured and expected to perform at mc levels higher than 9 percent or in conditions above 50 percent rh should not be used with radiant heating systems. Since humidity affects wood so much and the heating in your home affects humidity you ll have to take care not to install your radiant heating. Quartersawn is a method of cutting the boards from the log so that the direction of the. In fact many people do not know that radiant heat can be installed under wood floors.

It s the moisture difference between the top and bottom of wood floors that causes cupping and crowning. If you re considering the installation of a radiant heat system some flooring options work better than others. Radiant heating can be installed under resilient floorings such as sheet vinyl tile vinyl and luxury vinyl plank. Electric radiant underfloor heating systems can be installed under wood floors by working from the basement or from a basement crawlspace.

The heated water is pumped through a tubing network installed in the subfloor. A water heating system that can be either a standard boiler water heater a geothermal heat pump or even solar panels. Most wood flooring can be installed over radiant heat providing all of the necessary conditions are met. But most folks seem to want a strip floor installed on the hydronic heating system that runs under a wooden subfloor.

Check the manufacturer s installation instructions for maximum temperatures. Radiant heat has many benefits. Sheet or tile vinyl flooring. And again i would suggest a heavy 1 plywood subfloor be installed.

Radiant heat systems use a three stage process to convey heated water to its destination. Walking on heated floors in winter is very cozy. Imagine walking over heated wood floors on a cold winter night. Generally begin with 70 degrees f during the first 24 hours of use increasing to no more than 85 degrees f.

Installing radiant heat under hardwood floors the challenge when installing radiant heat under hardwood floors comes from the fact that wood naturally expands when there is moisture in the air. It is also the responsibility of the general contractor plumber and hvac systems professional to put care into the installation of a radiant heat system so that all flooring substrates perform well and look great for years. For more information about engineered flooring see our article all about engineered wood floors. If a solid 3 4 thick wood floor is desired it is recommended to use quartersawn flooring not usually available factory prefinished.